Above center and to the right are photos of the place we were able to put a deposit on for next Nov-Mar. The place is beautiful as you can see. It's about half the size of the place we are in this visit -very small - but it has a heated pool and gorgeous outdoor areas that we can use to extend our living space. And...it's completely secure, right on the edge of Lake Chapala and in Ajijic so that we can walk to the tiangus (outdoor market) three blocks away and to a  good-sized conventional market as well.

Tomorrow we head down the road, heading back to Oregon. The weather there has been record-setting at 70-78 degrees lately, but it doesn't beat the 82-87 we have had here lately! Because of the altitude (5000 ft), it's just perfect. We're hoping most people will be at church or entertaining family, while we are driving. Or if they are travelling during Semana Santa (the extended Easter holiday), they should be at their destination, fingers crossed! I will post again soon. Right now we are in packing mode - a fairly major undertaking after six months in our second home in Mexico.

There was a big art show and sale this weekend. It coincides with the annual judged show put on by the Ajijic Society of the Arts. Over 80 artists in all different media had their wares for sale on the plaza on Sunday. The ASA group was established in 1986 and is primarily made up of expats, but also includes some local artists. They support each other but also do good work in the community, including supporting a local children's art training program. They have a small web presence you can check out for examples of just a few of the members' work Last yerajijicart.weebly.com.

Below is a pretty nice photo I took with the phone (some of them turn out!). This is the very old church that borders the plaza area just off to the left of the photo taken here of the sale area. It was built in the 1500's. This town is VERY old.  Lots and lots of history and changes over the years, but for this church - not so much, as you can see.

Our time here is very short now - less than two weeks before we leave for all points north and home. It continues to be very busy for us. We went to a fundraiser for Ninos Incapacitado last week, an  organization that helps fund health care for severely challenged local children whose parents can't afford the medical treatment that they require. Every year they raise thousands of dollars from this event alone, and it's always a lot of fun. It's themed, so some people have fun dressing for whatever that theme might be, and the rest of us enjoy looking at them! This year the theme was "The Orient Express" - and there are a lot of former theater folks here and people who were in various positions in that industry in their former lives. Not to mention that there are two active theater groups here in town, as well as symphony performances from time to time in an actual auditorium built just for that purpose, and last Fall a real cabaret opened downtown called El Piano Rojo which is a sister establishment to one in Puerto Vallarta. We, unfortunately, haven't seen one of the excellent acts that keep getting rave reviews there. But we did see a friend of ours perform there on open mic night recently. That was pretty much fun! Checking back, I see I didn't post about the Mexican National Chili Cook-Off that happened about a month ago.  Last year the weather was dismal for this event, but this year it was great. This event is a fundraiser for Cruz Roja (the local Red Cross presence).  It was fun, but the interest in the competition seems to be waning. A number of the competitors in the two competitions that they promote (chili and margaritas) cancelled at the last minute and left voters with very few to evaluate!

Here comes the parade!

Saddle is as big as he is!

Arrived for the parade!

This group of guys are here for the Carnaval Parade. We are at the staging area. Probably won't do that again. I forget that in Mexico if the parade begins at 10 am it will be an hour more; but it was fun anyway - eventually! What I look forward to each year is the Sayacas, who chase the little boys (see my post from 2/23/12 for a full explanation of this local folk custom). There were 50 or more, dressed up in outrageous costumes to rival the best Halloween get-ups we see NOB (north of the border). The little boys love it. They get all fired up, race around chasing each other just to let off steam until the Sayacas begin the chase. As for the parade, most everything in it is just a bit risque - from pole dancing cross dressers to scantily clad young ladies dancing to the relentless beat of the music piped out of the "floats". A couple of marching bands keep the pace, and lots of beads and confetti is thrown - a nod to Mardi Gras. The confetti is then taken home on/in your clothing, your hair and stuck to your skin. Mucho fun !

Carnaval is huge in the Chapala area, lasting a couple of weeks. I wish that I had better photos of the parade in Ajijic. I took videos, and even those are not great because the IPhone has issues with lighting and detail. I didn't catch the mad scramble at the beginning of the parade when the Sayacas chase the little boys, as I had to duck into a doorway to keep from being trampled! A contingency of Charro (horsemen), young and old, take up the rear to end the parade. Above and below are pictures of very young riders, dressed up in beautiful regalia. It's clear that they take horsemanship   very seriously here. Some of the Charro have taught their horses to "dance", much to the delight of the crowd. But it's early, and the parade will go from one end of town and back again. By the time they get to the plaza in the middle of town some of the horses are overheated (I saw this last year) and I felt very sorry for them...

Young horsewoman

   

This is how they promote the outdoor grilled chicken shop in downtown Ajijic. Notice he is literally dancing in the street? Annoys some of the local drivers (Mexicans), who occasionally swerve towards him...

Because we are outside of town we missed yet another fiesta extraordinaire. On January 20th the patron saint of Ajijic, San Sebastien, was celebrated. A whole day event, I didn't find out about it until too late. There was a huge display of art at the Plaza, a parade with floats and confetti, wonderful local food and drink of all kinds, ending up with live music and street dancing in Centro. Oh well - next year for sure!

As promised, I will share some current information about crime and corruption in the area as reported in the Guadalajara Reporter. As mentioned in a previous post, there's been a substantial increase in local robberies and home invasions in recent months. With the change in administration December 1st on many government levels, criminals have taken advantage of the "grey zone" between the election of new people and the actual taking of office (not to mention the extended time it takes to put anything new into practice here). One new program is having mixed success. A mandate to test all current police officers for competency is a good idea - but the newspaper reported that 33% of Guad. cops failed and have been dismissed as unfit for service. In Jalisco as a whole the number is 35%. The tests include drug tests, lie detector, medical and psych among others. Failing officers, not due to drugs or affiliations with organized crime, are being reassigned to desk jobs when possible. According to stats from the state's Attorney General's office, a staggering 75% of pending crime cases are "shelved" which has the effect of  encouraging criminals to carry on business as usual (thus the huge swell in the number of home robberies in the area - my conclusion).

An example specific to Ajijic was recently in the news. A well known, long established restaurant in the area was abruptly demolished on 1/15. Local folks had lots of questions, as the owner and family were well liked in the area by many long-time residents. As reported by the Guad. Reporter, the owner of the restaurant had been in a legal battle with the owner of the land it was on for over 7 years, with suit after counter suit being filed in court. When all had run its course in the courts the judge asked him to vacate the premises voluntarily (that was in September last year!) and he refused. What we do know is that the part of the property that they were operating on was sitting on a section of land that was public access, and so they never had any legal claim to it. How were they able to continue to operate for so many years? Apparently the owner was paying off the previous judge regularly for that entire time, but when the new judge took office she refused to take the money - end of story.

In spite of all this, we love this place and will continue to return. This part of the world certainly doesn't have a corner on the market of crime and corruption!

As seen from our roof last night, and frequently...

Just like in high school and college, I procrastinate, and now there is so much to write about I don't know where to begin. The holidays as celebrated in the states have come and gone. Family visitors left on Wed. and took the week's fabulous weather with them. Before they arrived we had several days of uncharacteristic chilly weather, including two days of rain! I questioned the locals - what is this rain all about? From some expats that live here, and from my gardener, I was told these are called the "cabanuelas". They are predictors of this coming year's rains for purposes of planning harvest. If you Google the term you will find all kinds of interesting stuff.

Some new friends here have gotten me connected to some neat opportunities. A Writers' Group meets here twice a month, and in the group are all the folks who write for local English publications that we see in print in the area. I went to a meeting with my new friend as sponsor, and it was great fun. There was so much talent in the room - I felt humbled to be included, but at the same time energized, as I think I could do this! If I had only thought to bring down examples of my published stuff... I also am going to begin work with a woman who hosts a network for local women online. The info on their website is in need of an update/clean-up in several areas, and that is my forte. My jewelry group is in high gear as well, with a bunch of newbies on board. All of us who don't feel qualified to produce and sell our jewelry (yet) will have the opportunity to learn from some of the local women who do. Lots of classes are planned for teaching purposes. I can't wait! At the same time Gregg has not been able to pull together a fishing trip. Perhaps in March ...

Things here are the same, yet different, each time we visit. As long as we are "Snowbirds" our experience will change every time we visit. We have have had some really unpleasant experiences this year - including moving in to our supposedly "fully equipped" home in which the TV and dishwasher  didn't work, and there were leaks in two places inside when it rained. In addition there was no iron, salt and pepper shakers, storage containers, mixing bowls, can openers, spare sheets and towels and - in a 2 bd rm house there were only 12 hangers! The 2nd bedroom had only a bed - nothing else. Wow.  Be very careful when finding things online (as we have always done). Ask LOTS of questions and be sure you get answers you are satisfied with. And be prepared to be flexible.

Will post again soon about things going on here. There is always so much.  As well, there is lots to talk about regarding area politics and the daily goings on.

Poinsettias in our garden

These are growing in our back yard... It's clear that it's Christmas time here!

So, the other night we apparently had a "Last Night before the End of the World" party happening at a club that is maybe half a kilometer away. I had been watching the Nat Geo programming earlier to see what the various crazies were saying. It was entertaining, but this party was epic!  Went on until who knows when, because I finally put in ear plugs. You know, any excuse for a party, right? Cannot do all-nighters any more.

Tonight we went to a fantastic restaurant very near to us - we could walk, if I didn't mind walking at night! The chef (Ernesto) took care of us exclusively, as we went early. We also had the benefit of hearing about his background, etc. What a character! Said he has been married 3 times - American, Chinese and Cuban wives. His father was Spanish and his mother Mexican. His menu is wonderful, mostly Spanish-inspired, Grande tapas. Probably the best food in Ajijic right now, although it's always REALLY hard to pick one out from the group. We had Paella which is something Gregg does exceptionally well, so there was some macho going on. When we left, Gregg invited him to our house for his Paella after the New Year, so we will see...

Tomorrow night is Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) here. Last year we were staying in the barrio and there literally were bonfires on our street, music, dancing, drinking and general partying until dawn. As for this year, we have an Open House in the village at a new friend of mine's house by the lake. Christmas day is a brunch at the house of our friends from Oregon. It is beginning to feel like a second home here, with lots of new friendships developing. It will likely be quieter in OUR neighborhood when we get home tomorrow evening, I hope.

I will finish with some random thoughts:

The new administration took office on Dec. 1st here, and there is a lot of skepticism - Mexicans and Foreigners alike. Calderon's administration caught and jailed most of the major drug cartel leaders. Pena's plans do not include chasing any of the big guys, but rather putting increased police personnel in the villages to stem the tide of "new recruits" due to the huge problem here. Sounds good, but he has no money to increase forces, has no info on how he will recruit these people and folks are thinking it's a lot of talk and no back-up.

In closing... in the "Who Would have Thought" category:

They are actually monitoring air quality in Guadalajara the same as they do up North now. It has been bad lately. And...in the plazas in Guadalajara and Zapopan and Tlaquepaque (2 suburbs) they have set up ice rinks, with 600 pairs of skates that are free to users for a half hour. Very cool!

Grande grasshopper

It's been awhile since my last post, but not due to a lack of things to write about. I've been working through a new technical challenge - downloading pictures from my IPhone that are publishable. I think it is still a work in progress... See the picture on the left taken with my phone. Grasshoppers here can get as big as 4" long. The detail is lacking, but you get the idea.

The weekend of the Feria, I mentioned in my last post, was a blur. It was a huge success for the artisans that traveled from all parts of Mexico(expenses paid by donation), for our area in terms of tourism and for the more general goal to promote the continuation of this fading tradition of free market sales of indigenous art in this  country that is so rich in that. We worked as volunteers all 4 days and it was an amazing experience. Because my photos are lacking, I want to share a local man's website with you for really detailed info and excellent photos. His name is Tony Passarello, and his site is: antoniorambles.com. He also has many great photos documenting the Dia de los Muertos celebration, and the Revolucion holiday which spanned several days in both cases. Bottom line, if there is any excuse to do so they will party for days...

As for us, we have had an interesting time adjusting to living out of town. Gregg wanted to bring bikes down (we did). Most of the area is paved with rocks - not cobblestone, but rocks - except for along the main thoroughfare. We have not exercised the bikes since we arrived. Another challenge: We have a very few neighbors in our gated community and we just haven't connected with them yet. Not for lack of trying either. Only one has come forward to meet us.  We have invited them for dinner this week. No one uses the shared pool here - I mean NO ONE. When my daughter and grandson come to visit next month that will change!

Right now, things are really happening all over the area. The Christmas season in Mexico lasts well into the new year. There are fundraisers for local orphanages and other groups, to help the locals that are in need, that will be going on until March. Expats and transplants here from points North are willing donors to all the area establishments that are doing the good work. No wonder they are so tolerant of us all.